RT Journal
A1 Messori A, Fadda V, Maratea D, Trippoli S
T1 Ω-3 fatty acid supplements for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: From “no proof of effectiveness” to “proof of no effectiveness”
JF JAMA Internal Medicine
JO JAMA Internal Medicine
YR 2013
FD August 12
VO 173
IS 15
SP 1466
OP 1468
DO 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.6638
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.6638
AB
In patients who have experienced cardiovascular events, ω-3 fatty acid supplements do not seem to be beneficial.1 However, there is not universal agreement on this conclusion.1- 3 On the one hand, after examining the data of 14 randomized placebo-controlled studies, the meta-analysis by Kwak et al1 found no reduction in cardiovascular events (risk ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.89-1.09) as well as no improvement in other relevant end points. On the other hand, the aforementioned meta-analysis has been criticized because 2 positive randomized studies4,5 were excluded owing to their open-label design and no administration of placebo; furthermore, a query of clinicaltrials.gov (run on March 5, 2013) indicates that 8 trials, registered on this website, are presently under way, thus confirming that the effectiveness of ω-3 fatty acid supplements is still thought to be an open question.